NIBONG TEBAL: The Air Pollutant Index (API) recorded around Pulau Burung area due to the fire at the landfill in Jalan Byram here is moderate on Sunday (Jan 30) compared to the unhealthy reading on Saturday (Jan 29).

Penang Environment Department director Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab said that based on their monitoring, the unhealthy API reading in the area on Saturday was not only due to dust from the fire but also from the use of soil to cover the burning landfill and the movements of lorries in and out of the area.

“Based on the API reading at the temporary station at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT) Ladang Byram, here today, the air quality is found to be at a moderate level but still high compared to four other API stations in Penang,” she said when contacted on Sunday.

Based on the air pollutant index management system (APIMS) website, SJKT Ladang Byram recorded a moderate API reading of 88 as of 6pm on Sunday.

Four other stations, meanwhile, also recorded moderate API readings, namely, Seberang Jaya (81) and Seberang Perai (70) on the mainland as well as Minden (70) and Balik Pulau (64) on the island.

An API of zero to 50 indicates good air quality; 51 to 100, moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; 201 to 300, very unhealthy and 300 and above, hazardous.

Meanwhile, state Environment and Welfare Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said in a statement that currently only about 25% of the 11-hectare Pulau Burung landfill was still on fire and efforts to put it out were being aggressively undertaken. – Bernama